Gearing.



J. M. MERRITT.

BEARING.

APrLwATIoN FILED JULY 31,1911.

1 ,023,266. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

j; Y m .i waa/772? JAMES IVI. MERRITT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GEARING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

serial No. 641,600.

Application led July 31, 1911.

To all whom 'it may'concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. MERRITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los An eles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gearing, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to a washing machine and attachmentsand apparatus therefor for hand operation; and the prime object of theinvention is to provide an easily operated, light running device whichwill actuate the machine in the most im roved manner.

Broa ly considered, the invention consists of the combination, in amachine of the particular character to be described, of a reciprocatingmechanical motion and a rotary motion. The reciprocating motion istransferred to the vertical shaft of the washing machine and causes theoscillation of that shaft through approximately a half revolution; whilethe rotating motion comprises a ily-wheel which, by its momentum, keepsthe Whole machine moving uniformly and smoothly. The major portion ofthe apparatus is mounted beneath the tub of a washing machine, thehandle and connecting levers only projecting outside and above themachine. I have devised this particular hand operated motion andmechanism for use with my under motor washing machine. This machine isso constructed that the shaft projects out through the bottom ratherthan out through the top as in most washing machines; and thearrangement and adaptation of the hand operated mechanism isparticularly suited to a machine of this class, although it will beunderstood that it may be applied to any similar machine.

I will more completely describe my invention in the followingspecification and have illustrated it in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view showing my improved device inelevation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings 5 designates a tub of any description having the usualcircular side walls and a bottom wall 6. Portions of my device aresecured to this bottom 6 of the tub. The tub is provided with suitablesup ports, suclr as legs 7, and is otherwise similar to the ordinary tubnow in use for Washing machines. But my machine is peculiar in that theoperating shaft 8 extends downwardly through bottom 6 of the tub, as ismost clearly shown in Fig. 3. This shaft 8 projects upwardly to a pointnear the cover of the tub and has certain sleeves surrounding it onwhich the washing dolly 9 is mounted. This construction need not beentered into at this point as I have thoroughly described it in anotherapplication for Letters Patent and as its details of construction do notenter into the present invention.

Shaft 8 projects below bottom 6 of the tub and its lower end rests in astep bearing 10a on the upper end of a standard 10 which is secured at11 to a platform 12 supported between legs 7. At a point immediatelybelow the lower surface of bottom 6 a half gear 13 is rigidly secured onshaft 8 and its teeth are adapted to mesh with a rack 14 mounted in andforming a part of an oblong frame 15. Frame 15 is provided with twolongitudinal slide rods 16 which are adapted to move longitudinall inbearings 17. Bearings 17 are prefera ly made integrally with a plate 18which is secured to the under side of the tub by means of screws 19 andby means of a nut 20 which is threaded to the lower end of a sleeve 21which projects through the bottom of the tub.

It will be seen that a proper reciprocation `of frame 15 will cause theoscillation of gear 13 and shaft 8 through approximately a halfrevolution. This reciprocation is eiected `through the medium of an arm25 formed integrally with frame 15 and projecting from the frame to apoint outside the tub.

`Arm 25 is pivotally connected at 26 to a lever 27 which is pivoted at28 to a bracket 29 mounted on tub 5. The upper end of lever 27 isprovided with a slot 30 which engages with a pin 31 mounted on the lowerend of hand lever 32. Hand lever 32 is pivoted at 33 to bracket 29 andis provided with means on its up er end for the insertion and connectiono a handle 34 whereby it may be oscillated between the positionsindicated by the dotted lines. Oscillation of handle lever 32 asindicated will cause the oscillation ot lever 27 between .the positionsindicated by the dotted lines; and this oscillation is sufficient tocause the reciprocation of frame 15 and the oscillation of shaft- 8through approximately a half revolution.

Lever 27 extends below pivot 26 and is provided with a pivot 35 on itslower end to which, connecting rod 36 is secured. Connecting rod 36connects at its other end to a crank pin 37 on gear 38. Gear 38 ismounted on stud 39 rigidly secured in standard 10; and the arrangementis such that, when lever 27 is oscillatedl as indicated, the movement ofconnecting rod 36 will be suflicientV to rotate gear 38. Loosely mountedon shaft 8 above standard l0 is a ily-wheel 40. This ly-wheel has asleeve hub bearing 41 which runs loosely on shaft 8 and is alsoprovided' with a bevel gear 42 which is adapted to bemeshed with gear38. .The flywheel and gear rest on a ball bearing 43 which rests in turnon standardlO. The fly-Wheel is thus enabled to rotate, and is caused torotate by gear 38, independently of' the oscillation of shaft 8, theshaft merely affording a convenient means for mounting the fly-wheel.

When handle 34 is oscillated between the positions indicated, then theshaft 8 will be oscillated through practically a half revolution andgear 38 will be rotated, thereby rotating y-Wheel 40. The weight andmomentum of the flywvheel is sufficient to keep ear 38 rotatinguniformly and to thereby eep up the oscillation of lever 27 and ofhandle 34. The whole device is thus constrained to move smoothly and theoperator onl applies a uniform force to handle 34 su cient to overcomethe retarding action within the tube. If the operator acted di rectly onthe retarding force within the tube without t-he intervention of anymeans to keep the device working smoothly, it would be necessary toapply at times a force much greater than the uniform force a plied tothe handle when the fly-wheel mecll'ianism is rovided. The applicationof a uniform orce to do a certain amount of work is always lessfatiguing than the application of a varying force to do the same amountof work; and my construction and device enables the operator to do thework required for washing a certain amount of clothes in the mannerrequiring the least effort. It will also be seen that the device issimple in construction and operation; that it is almost entirely mountedbeneath the tub where it is out of the way and not liable to injury.These, and the simplicity of construction of the various parts, are thefeatures of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1 Driving mechanism for washing machines and the like, comprising aframe, a vertical shaft journaled on the frame, a gear `chines and thelike,

onk the shaft, a horizontal rack meshing with the gear, sliding supportsfor the rack, a lever pivoted on the frame, a fly-wheel mounted on` theframe, the lever and rack being connected together, and connecting meansbetween the lever and iiy-wheel, whereby the oscillation of the leverwill cause the movement of the rack and cause the rotation of thefly-wheel.

2. Driving mechanism for washing machines and the like, comprisinfr aframe, a vertical shaft journaled on the frame, a gear on the shaft, ahorizontally reciprocating rack mounted on the frame to mesh with thegear, a iiy-wheel loosely mounted on the shaft below the gear, anoscillating lever pivotally mounted on the frame, connecting meansbetween the rack and the lever, and connecting means between theily-wheel and the lever.

3. Driving mechanism for washing macomprising a frame, a vertical shaftjournaled on the frame, a gear on the shaft, a horizontallyreciprocating rack mounted on the frame to mesh with the ear, afly-wheel loosely mounted on the s aft below the gear, a bevel gear onthe under side of the fly-wheel, a gear mounted on a horizontal axisbelow the iiywheel and meshing with the bevel gear thereon, a crank pinon the last mentioned gear, an oscillating lever mounted on the frameand pivotally connected with the rack, and a connecting rod between theend of the lever and the crank pin on the gear.

4. Driving mechanism for washing machines and the like, comprising aframe, a vertical shaft journaled on the frame, a gear mounted on theshaft, a horizontally reciprocat-ing rack frame mounted on the firstmentioned frame and having rack teeth engaging the gear, guide rods andbearings for supporting the rack frame; a standard beneath the lower endof the shaft, a flywheel loosely mounted on the shaft and resting on thestandard, a bevel gear on the lower side of the Hy-wheel, a horizontalpivot stud mounted on the standard, a gear on the stud and meshing withthe bevel gear on the flywheel, a crank pin on the stud mounted gear, aconnecting rod connected to the crank pin, an oscillating lever mountedon the frame and pivotally connected to the connecting rod and to therack frame, and manually operable means to oscillate the lever.

5. Driving mechanism for washing machines and the like, comprising aframe, a vertical shaft journaled on the frame, a gear rigidly mountedon the shaft, a rack frame horizontally reciprocative on the main frameand having a rack thereon meshing with the gear, a bearing standardbelow the vertical shaft, a fly-wheel loosely mounted around the Shaftand resting upon the standard, a

bevel gear on the lower side of the fly-Wheel, a bevel gear mounted on ahorizontal axis on the standard below the fly-Wheel and meshing with thefly-Wheel gear, a lever pivotally mounted on the frame to oscllate in aplane determined by the axis of the vertical shaft and parallel to theplane of the bevel gear mounted on the standard, a conneet-ing rodbetween the lever and the said bevel gear, and connection between therack 10 frame and the lever.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 22d day of July 1911.

JAMES M. MERRITT.

Witnesses:

0011A E. MONTGOMERY, JAMES T. BARKELEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

